Means for sterilizing liquids and filling containers



April 9, 1940. H GLUNZ I 2,196,299

I MEANS. FOR STERILIZING LIQUIDS AND FILLING CONTAINERS Filed Aug. 6, 1936 l'nl/enl or. fie/1171757107.

Patented Apr. 9, 1940 v UNITED TATES PATE OFFICE I MEANS FOR STERILIZING LIQUIDS AND I FILLING CONTAINERS I Henry F. Glunz, Long Island, N. I Application August 6, 1936, Serial No. 94,528 Claims. (01'. 250-49) be economically operated,' and'whichwill concurrently effect the sterilization of I the liquid and the placing of same. in sealed containers. free v from contamination.

The principal featuresfof the invention consist in the novel construction of apparatus by means of which the liquidis drawn into a sterilized vacuum chamber; through a sterilizing zone and '15 air is concurrentlyevacuated from containers to permit the sterilized liquid to enter thereinto without contact with contaminating or germ laden air. I a

The accompanying drawing is a vertical midsectional elevation of a machine constructed in accordance with this invention. I

In carrying this invention into effect the mechanism herein shown is mostly diagrammatic and may be altered in many details.

5 The device as herein shown consists of a base l'of cylindrical form supporting a central standard in the form of a rigid shaft 2,'upon which isv The casing 5 is closed at the top by a cover 1,- which has a suitable airtight joint therewith.

In thecenter of the cover it is provided witha cylindrical'extension 8 over which a" cap '9 is fittedandwhich is air sealed bya friction washer 9', i I I I I I An exhaust tube lll is secured inthe cap 9 and is adapted to be connected to a suitable vacuum machine to exhaust the air from the casing 5.

A liquid supply tube l! is mounted in the cap 9 and extends under the cover 1, preferably close to the inner cylindrical wall of the casing -5, and is formed witha broad 'spreadernozzlefl adapted to discharge a broad thin sheet of liquid a downward direction. I I "Securedto suitable supports on the inner wall of the casing 5 is a shelf 1 3 arranged immediately below the spreader nozzle l2. This shelf slopes downwardly and inwardly and provides a wide sloping surface, o ver'which a thin film of liquid is discharged by the nozzle l2. '5 Arranged "at asuitable distance above the shelf I3 and extending across same is one or more devices vM, preferably mercury vapour lamps of a suitable design which produce rayswhich have the capability of sterlizing fluids passed therebeneath over the shelf I3 in a thin film. The 5 action of the sterilizing rays is enhanced by the 'fact that the flowing liquidis attenuated by the presence of the vacuum in the chamber and the liquid is thoroughly sterilized. I I II I If milk isbeing treated in this apparatus, the 10 passage of a thin film thereof under the ultra violet rays of the sterilizing lamps will have the definite effect of irradiating the same and very materially increasing its vitamin D content.

The sterilized and irradiated liquid flowing 15 over the shelf l3 is discharged into-the casing 5 and the height of the level of liquid-thereinmay be regulated by a suitable float controlled valve 15 arranged in theliquid supply tube II.

The bottom 5; of the casing preferably slopes20 downwardly from the center boss 6 and a plurality of bosses ll extend downwardly therefrom adjacent to the preiphery. Each of the bosses H is bored centrally to-house a vertical plunger I8, which is held downward by a coil spring i9, and 25 the lower end of each plungerhas a flange 20 with w end openinginto the bored recess housing, the

plunger I 3, and the plunger is provided with a duct Madapted to open to said port at a predetermined point inth e upward movementofthe 35 plunger to permit the vacuum in the casing to exhaust the air from the container engaging the plunger flange. I I

Each plunger has a second vertical duct 25, which communicates witha port at the lower end'. ;40 of a duct 26 in the boss opening to the interior of the casing upon the plunger being moved upwardly to a point where the vacuum duct is closed. to permit the flow of the liquid from the chamber ,5 into the container under the influence of; the;-4 =5 I vacuum, which will have been created in thecontainer. I I I It will be understood that by efiecting an ,upward movement of the container against the plunger [8, the air in the container is first ex- 50 haustedthrough the registering ducts and tube 23 to a pointabove the level of the liquid in-the casing 5, and immediately thereafter the container is filled with liquid by the suction of the vacuum therein, consequently the liquid will not standard to hold the containers in position onthe movable platens, allowing free vertical movement thereof.

The casing 5 is shown mounted on a-threaded support, so that it may be adjusted vertically to suit various lengths of containers to be filled, but other forms of vertical adjustment may be made. So also it will be readily appreciated that the means for lifting the containers may be varied considerably within the scope of the invention.

The operation of the process is extremely simple, the casing 5 is sterilized, then the air is evacuated therefrom, the liquid to be treated then flows, under the action of gravity and the vacuum in the casing, through the spreader nozzle over a broad fiat surface, and the film being rendered extremely thin by the presence of the vacuum is readily penetrated in its fiow by the irradiating sterilizing rays and all germ and bacilli are eliminated. The sterile liquid thenv falls into the body of the casing, the liquid level being maintained below the irradiating surface by the operation of the float valve.

The containers to be filled are sterilized in a suitable manner and fed by suitable mechanism or by hand to the vertically operable tables or platens, and these are operated to raise the containers to engage the valving plungers located in the bottom of the main casing to first effect the evacuation of the air, and then direct the liquid into the vacuumized container and the container is then sealed in any suitable manner.

The use of the apparatus described for the sterilizing of liquids and filling of containers involves a special method which forms the basis of a division of this application, filed May 6, 1937, Serial No. 141,047.

It will be readily appreciated that the mechanism described may be altered materially without departing from the principal features of the invention herein set forth.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. Means for treating liquids and filling containers, comprising a vacuum chamber, a conduit for conducting liquid to the interior of said chamber, means for spreading and supporting the liquid in a thin film at the discharge end of said conduit within the vacuum chamber, means connected with the vacuum chamber and ex tending above the liquid therein for closing and evacuating air from containers to be filled, and means for directing a flow of the treated liquid from said vacuum chamber to said containers after the air has been evacuated therefrom.

2. Means for treating liquids and filling containers, comprising a vacuum chamber, means for directing a flow of liquid to said chamber, said chamber being adapted to contain means for irradiating said liquid as it is discharged into said chamber, a plunger mounted in the bottom of said container having dual passages therein, a passage connecting one of said plunger passages with the interior of the vacuum chamber at the bottom thereof, a passage connecting the other of said plunger passages with the vacuum chamber adjacent to the top and above the liquid contained therein, means for sealing the lower end of the plunger against an open container, and means for operating said plunger to first evacuate the container by connection with the vacuumized chamber and then fill same with the treated liquid by connection below the liquid level of the vacuumized chamber;

, 3. In a means for effecting the sterile filling of containers, the combination of a vacuum chamber for containing a supply of liquid under a vacuumized condition therein, a valve body having ports therein connected to the vacuum chamber one above the level of the liquid therein and the other below the level, a slidably displaceable valve member having sealing co-operation with the container and having ports therein for communicating with the container and so arranged as to register respectively with the ports in said valve body on displacement of the valve member longitudinally to first connect the container interior with the vacuumized interior of the liquid holding chamber to first establish a balanced vacuum in the container and chamber and to thereafter permit the gravity flow of the liquid from the vacuumized chamber into the vacuumizer container..

4. Means for treating liquids and filling containers therewith in sterile condition including a supply tank mounted for rotation about a vertical axis and having its interior vacuumized and adapted to retain a supply of the liquid, fluid supply means entering said tank and discharging downwardly adjacent the top thereof, a tray member fixed to the tank and rotating therewith above the liquid level and under said discharge and receiving the latter and spreading the downward discharge laterally and supporting same temporarily within the vacuumized interior of the tank, means for directing irradiating rays downwardly over said rotating shelf and the liquid film supported thereby, and means for evacuating and filling containers with the treated liquid during the rotation of said tank.

5. Means for treating liquidsand filling containers, comprising a rotatably mounted vacuum chamber, means for directing a flow of liquid to said chamber to be vacuumized therein, said chamber being adapted to contain means for irradiating said liquid as it is discharged into said chamber under the action of the vacuum therein, a series of peripherally spaced plungers mounted in the bottom of said container each having dual passages therein, passages connecting one of said plunger passages with the interior of the vacuum chamber at the bottom thereof, passages connecting the other of said plunger passages with the vacuum chamber adjacent to the top and above the liquid contained therein, means for sealing the lower end of the plungers against open containers, vertically movable table members adapted to each hold a container with its open end in sealing engagement with said plunger and being rotatable with said vacuum chamber, and a cam engaging said vertically movable members to consecutively raise and lower the plungers to effect the consecutive evacuation and filling of the containers and to cut off the liquid flow to the containers and release the same.

' HENRY F. GLUNZ. 

